A Discussion
by jewelledhunter
Summary: Peregrin Took reads the Red Book aloud to his son Faramir. Faramir then asks a question that makes Pippin remember the past with great fondness. Oneshot.


"'Well, I'm back,' said Sam." Peregrin Took, the Thain of the Shire, closed the Red Book.

The Red Book. Oh, it was called the Red Book by Pippin, Merry and Sam. The book that Frodo and Bilbo wrote, to remember the greatest adventures ever undertaken by hobbits. It was the Shire's heirloom, and it was even taken to Gondor and Rohan. For there were no books as comprehensive as the Red Book that dealt with the great quest undertaken by the Fellowship of the Ring.

"Father?" Faramir Took whined. "Is that it?"

"Yes, my lad," Peregrin said quietly. "It was good, wasn't it?"

"And you were in it! Father! Were you excited to go on a quest?" Faramir asked.

"I was scared. But yes, I was excited. I really wanted to help Frodo," Pippin replied. "So did Merry, and Fatty Bolger, and Sam. And then later, Glorfindel, Elrond, Gimli, Gandalf, Aragorn, Boromir, and Legolas. Eomer, Eowyn, Faramir," Faramir gave a little sigh at the name of the Steward of Gondor's name, "Theoden, Treebeard, Galadriel, Celeborn. They all wanted to help."

"What happened to Treebeard?" Faramir asked anxiously.

"Last time I heard from him, he is in Isengard, making Isengard come back to life," Pipping gave a small smile to his son.

"But what of Faramir, and Eowyn?" Faramir asked.

"You are nearly as curious as I was," Pippin laughed.

"You were the one who pushed a bucket into a well to see how deep the well was," Pippin rubbed his head solemnly.

"True," Pippin grinned good-naturedly. "The two are married and have two children, sons." Faramir nodded eagerly.

"Is Sam going to sail over the Sundering Seas one day?" Faramir asked.

"He was a Ring-bearer," Pippin said, sombering up at the thought of Samwise. "Yes, I think he will leave the Shire one day. Like we did many years ago to destroy the One Ring. But this may be his greatest adventure."

"Father, I thought you like adventures and Mr. Samwise didn't like adventures," Faramir pointed out.

"He must go, Faramir. Of all the people in the Shire right now, he has to go. Mordor was such a terrifying place. Sam told me many times, he still had nightmares. Of Frodo, lying on a cliff. Of Frodo, proclaiming that he had come to Mt. Doom to destroy the Ring, but he would not. Sam knows he has to go over the Sea one day."

"If I were him, I would be scared to death! A huge boat!" Faramir gestured with his hands frantically. "Rocking back and forth like a sick horse! Just waiting to buck you off!" Pippin laughed.

"You're a Took, Faramir Took. Tooks are not scared of water. Why, I jumped across great chasms in Moria with water churning under me and did I cry?"

"Daddy?"

"What?"

"Legolas carried you across those chasms of Moria," Pippin blushed furiously.

"You remember this better than I do!" Pippin scolded. "And you weren't part of the Fellowship."

"You weren't supposed to be part of the Fellowship either," Faramir muttered. "You didn't even know where you were going at first."

"Now, Faramir…"

"If you had to do that all over again, would it be worth it?" Faramir asked before Pippin could scold him again. Pippin stopped, flashes of the Quest dashing in front of him.

"I would," Pippin said softly. "I remember Sam telling me, 'Mr. Frodo nearly offered the One Ring to the Nazgul. When I dragged him away, he threatened me with his sword. But when Mr. Frodo realized that it was his poor gardener, Samwise Gamgee, instead of some croaking creature like Gollum, he lowered his sword and started crying.'"

"Frodo then asked Sam, 'Why are we doing this, Sam?' And Sam replied, 'Because there is some good in this world, and it's worth fighting for.' We had so many chances to turn back. When I first saw the Black Rider, I could have easily run home, no problem! I wasn't like Sam, who would, like I said before, jump down a dragon's throat to save Frodo. I was brave, to the point of foolish. But I wasn't capable, like Legolas or Gimli with a weapon, or Aragorn with Anduril. Nor could I lead the Fellowship. All I could do was throw buckets into wells and cause disturbances."

"But didn't you save Faramir?" Faramir asked quietly.

"Yes. But it was the only thing good I did. And Gandalf later told me, 'Peregrin Took, I am glad I argued with Lord Elrond into allowing you to go. Otherwise, we would not have a Steward of Gondor.' But what Legolas, Gimli, and Aragorn accomplished! Chasing me and Merry throughout the plains of Rohan. And the three later fought in Helm's Deep, and the Pellenor Fields, summoning the Dead to aid them against Sauron. Merry helped the Lady Eowyn destroy the Nazgul. And Sam helped Frodo to the very end, to destroy the One Ring. I must say, I must be the most useless member of the Fellowship, but at least I saved Faramir. But the quest was worth it. Yes, I would do it again if I was forced to. It was for the good of this world, and anyone big or small could help. I wouldn't care if I didn't get any fame. I don't deserve all this fanfare." Pippin sighed.

Faramir frowned. He enjoyed his friends pestering him to see the famous Captain Peregrin. "I thought you enjoyed it!"

"Maybe, for a few seconds. But then, I remember Frodo. The dark road he took, to save the Shire, Gondor, Rohan. Yet, not many in the Shire honor him. Yet he was content, without all the fussing. When he left, with Gandalf, Elrond, and Galadriel, he knew that he would be honored forever, but he didn't care! He only wished for peace after his long adventure."

Pippin looked at his curious son, Faramir, with penetrating eyes. "The Quest taught me things that I would never learn from any learned hobbit, not even Bilbo. Remember, Faramir. That fame is not the reason that we go on adventures. We go on adventures to help our world. Our Middle-Earth."

AN: Just a little one-shot to amuse me. I do not own Lord of the Rings. It belongs to J.R.R Tolkien. May his spirit rest with the Valar beyond the Sundering Seas of his imagination forever.


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